Originally Posted by
chipbennett
Delta certainly has the data (and obviously aren't sharing it). I find it hard to believe that people who travel fewer than 15 travel days per year (which is essentially what Delta is claiming about the "vast majority" of cardholders) are going to change their behaviors, but I'm sure I don't think like a normal person. Maybe it really does just come down to a minority who travel far more than 15 days per year and who use Sky Clubs far more than the average card holder. But these people (including me), IMHO, are more likely to pay for additional Visits or purchase SC memberships - so, in the end, there will be no real reduction in Sky Club use by this minority of cardholders. Again, though: maybe I'm the odd one, and Delta has data that tell them this move will significantly change behavior.
My guess is that this limit on Amex-based admissions will ultimately not reduce crowding much. I suspect that most of the Amex Plat cardholders who were practically living in Sky Clubs will purchase SC memberships ($695). Then they can guest in their whole family or two unrelated travel companions.
As for the like of me -- an occasional SC visitor -- I'm exactly the sort of traveler this Amex-DL collaboration had in mind. I like having access to the nice SFO SC when I fly on Delta, and I usually also visit SCs in hubs and destinations. When the fares are close, I choose DL for this reason.